Self-confessed former bad boy Lantshene Phalane has poured his heart out to Sowetan, reflecting on how he shunned offers from big clubs such as Mamelodi Sundowns, Orlando Pirates and Kaizer Chiefs to remain with Bloemfontein Celtic because Phunya Sele Sele covered up his mess.
Phalane regrets turning down those big offers to remain with Celtic between July 2015 and August 2021, when the club was sold to Royal AM, but insisted that staying put at Phunya Sele Sele was the best decision at the time, as the club understood him and stuck with him despite his waywardness.
I have some regrets when I look back, I dont want to lie, Phalane told Sowetan. When I was at Celtic, I had offers from Pirates, Sundowns and Chiefs, but I chose the Celtic badge. I still regret it, but at the same time, I think it was the right choice then because of who I was and what I was doing during those years.
A move away from Celtic wasnt going to be a good thing at that time ... Celtic knew my problems and they stuck with me. I was a bad boy, but Celtic covered that up. Imagine if I went to Chiefs or Pirates when I was still a bad boy with personal issues ... they were not going to tolerate that.
Had I taken that Chiefs offer, I was going to be without a club after six months or so, sitting at home doing nothing. But at Celtic, they knew my problems and they knew how to deal with me. So I can say there are regrets, but they are regrets I am thankful for.